Charging-switch for storage batteries.



G. W. COLEMAN, DEGD. x. nouns; ADIIHIBTBATRIX. QHABGING SWITCH F08 STORAGE BATTERIES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1911.

1,090,201, V Y PatentedMar.17,1914.

I V KS HEIFTS SHBET L' "Ill 0 um Invn for:

Wz'ineaaea: H I

' ULAfitf/VGE W. Guam/ 12502 UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT onnrcn CLABENGEW. COLEMAN, IJE'cEAsEn, LATE or WESTFIELD, NEW .IEnsEr, BY Kd THA- :aINE COLEMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX, or wEsrE E n, NEW JERSEY, nssronorrrr mas-NE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro HALL swrrcII & SIGNAL "COMPANY, or new YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CHARGING-SWITCH FOR STORAGE BATTERIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented it, 1914i.

I Application filed. January 18, 191i. Serial No. 803,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that CLAnnNcE \V. COLEMAN,

- deceased, latea citizen of the United States,

residing at Westfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Charging- Switches for Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

Thisinvention relates broadly to electric circuit-controlling devices, such as electric switches, and particularly to switches for use in charging storage batteries.

The improved charging switch embodybattery into or will cut it out of the operatlog or discharge circuit, always keeping at -leastone'of the two batteries connected in the discharge circuit.

Anothenoloject of this invention is to provide a switch of such a design that the operating handle is entirely separate from the contact making parts, so as to reduce to a minimum any liability of injury to the operator through touching the contact-making parts while operating the switch; and also to make it possible to'incase the contact-marking parts, if desired, without inclosing the handle.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear frornthe following description. I

The embodiment of this invention shown in the accompanying drawings willn'ow be described, and will thereafter be pointed out in claims.

l :2 l is a side. elevation of the imprm ,L switch. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the some. 'Flg. B is a horizontal section of the so me, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, look-.

ing down. Fig. "4c is a bottom view of the least-one may always besame; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, are diagrammatic views showing the circuit connections and five different positions of the switch.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invcntion, knife switches are employed to control the charging and discharging circuits, there being in all eighteen pairs of station- 'ary contact jaws constituting electric terminals, arranged insets each composed of three pairs of stationary jaws, and six contact blades or contact-controlling members, mounted at intervals on an operating shaft, each blade being arranged to cooperate with the jaws of one set consisting of three pairs of contact jaws. The sets of contact jaws include battery sets, that is, sets to which the poles of the batteries are connected, and charging sets' connected to the charging circuit and arranged under the control of their contact blades to connect the charging cir cuit to the batteries at the proper times. The operating shaft 1 is vertically arranged in front of the back board or support 2, and extends substantially parallel to the vertical middle line of the support, being journaled in an upper bearing 3 and a lower bearing 4, secured to the support; and an operating handle 5 is secured on the lower end of the operating shaft' The support may be attached to the wall-in any suitable way, as by screws, four posts being provided, one at each corner, as shown, to properly space the support from the wall. The charging circuitwires are attached to binding posts 6 and 7 at the upper end of the support, and the operating'or' discharging circuit wires are attached to binding posts 8 and 9 at the lower. end of the support. The eighteen pairs of contact jaws are arranged in three vertical rows of six pairs each on the front of the support, one row on each side of the shaft, and one row of short contact jaws, which are termed the middle contact jaws, between the Y .other two rows and directly back of'the shaft. The pairs of contact jaws project forwardly from flat securin plates, as shown, each plate provided with a bolt perforation and. secured to the support by bolts.

Back of the sup ort are wires electrically connecting these olts and the postscrews of the binding posts 6, 7, 8 and 9, and forming electric circuit connections which will be Y so that each blade may cotiperate in different tively,

' jaws and are jaws of each set, two pairs being outer jaws and one pair being middle jaws, are arranged in a horizontal plane in the path of one of the six contactblades on the shaft,

positions with the contact jaws of its set to open and. close the contacts as the shaft is rotated or oscillated by the handle 5.

The batteries-B and B areconnected on opposite sides to the .two outer pairs of contact jaws 10 and 11, and 10 and 11, respecof the two lower sets or sets nearest the operating handle, which are the battery sets of contact aws. These jaws are termed the battery contact jaws,and the bolts 12 a and 13, and 12" and 13, respectively, which secure these contact jaws to the base, serve as binding posts for this purpose. The two contact blades 1a and 15 nearest the handle, which are termed the battery contact blades,

are insulated from each other, and each blade is -made up of two portions of different radins, the-portions of smaller radius of these jaws extending always between the middle contact jaws 16 and 17, respectively, which are in the same set with the battery contact jaws 10 and 10,and 11 and 11, respectively,

'and' the arms or portions of larger radius including arcs of s'uficient length to bridge the t distance between the battery contact jaws 10 andll, and 10' and 11', respectively, so that atleast oneof the duplicate batteries will always be in the discharging circuit, as will hereafter be explained. Counting from the lower end, the fourth and sixth pairs of side contact jaws 18. and 18', and 19and 19, are shorter than the third and fifth side contact what are termed the charging Contact jaws,the purpose of which will appear. hereinafter. The blades 20 and 21, which cooperate "respectively with these charging contact jaws, have comparatively narrow radial arms. which enter between these jaws and make contactjust at the ends I 'of the oscillatory movement of the operating shaft; The blades 20 and 21 also have shortersectoral arms of a short are, as shown, so that they engage with their middle coopere ating contact aws 22 and 23 during only a short angular movement, as will hereinafter appear. jaws24 and er, and 25 afid'25, which are termed the resistance contact jaws, are of the same'length' as the battery contact jaws, but

are looped or bowed at middle "portions, as

tively,-bi1t the sectors are of a long are as The third and fifth side contactshown, so that they always engage between their middle contact jaws." The contact blades are all insulated from the shaft -1 by third andfourth contact blades 26 and 20 are electrically connected, as by rivets,'and the fifth and sixthcontact blades 27 21 are also similarly connected. The partsarc so designed that, as the handle is moved forward and to' the left from. the positions shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,.and in the diagram Fig. ll, the radial arms of the third and fifth blades 26 and 27, leave the looped portions of their'side contact jaws 24 and 25, which are the resistance contact jaws, and close contact with these resistance contacts sixth blades 20 and 21 disconnect from their charging jaws 18' and 19; (see Fig. 7). The sector shaped parts-of the fourth and sixth blades 20 and 21 enter between their middle contact jaws 22 and 23 just before the radial arms of the third and fifth contact blades leave their contact jaws (see Fig. 8). The opposite occurs, of course, in the reverse movement; and the corresponding order holds; truewhen the contact blades are in t-lie other half of their movement in connec tion with the contact jaws on the left side of the shaft. 1

There are four locked positions of the shaft and contact blades, as will be hereafter pointed out. To look the shaft in these positions, the top of the'bearing 4 is provided with a semi-circular keeper plate'30, which has in it four properly spaced keeper holes or sockets, as appears in Fig. l; and a arm of the handle 5 serves as a latch and registers in turn with each of these four holes as the crank is oscillated, and locks the crank as the pin 31 engages in an one ofthese four holes in the keeper plateX Lugs 38 are provided, one on each side at the bottom edge of the keeper plate 30, which lugs serveas stops to the oscillation of the handle 5' and shaft 1.

The operation of the'devicewill now be described. i i Fi'g. 6 shows the parts in the first locked position, corresponding to that shown in Figs: 1 to 5 inclusive. In this position. the battery B is discharging into the service 'line while the battery Bis being charged. The discharge circuit from battery B is tery B to the". contact aws 11, contact blade 15, middle cont-act jaws 17, wire 42, binding post 8, service line to binding" post 9, wire 43, middle contact jaws 16, contact blade 14, contact jaws 10, and to the lower terminal of the battery. The charging circuit may be traced as follows: from the left post 6, wire 33, middle contact jaws 29, conspring-held pin 31 in a hole in the crank as follows: from the upper terminal of bat insulating collars, as shown in Fig. 3. The

just' before the radial arms of the fourth and terminal of the generator. 32 to the binding tact blade 27 and through the electrical connection 46 from the contact blade 27 to the contact blade 21, contact jaws 19, wire 3%, contact jaws 11 (not in contact with their blade 155) battery B, contact jaws 10 (not in contact with their blade 14) wire 35, contact jaws 18, contact blade 20, electrical connection 36 from the contact blade 20 to the contact blade 26, middle contact jaws 28, wire 87, and binding post 7 of the charging line to the right terminal of the generator 32. In practice, a plurality of charging switches are connected in multiple in the charging circuit, and, as explained hereinafter, the contacts are so arranged that the charging c1rcu1t is always intact' at each switch, irrespective of whether or not a bat tery is included in the circuit at any particular switch. To indicate the inclusion of other switches in the circuit, the charging circuit is shown open between the binding post and the generator 32. r

When the battery B is sufficiently charged, if it is desired merely to cut off the battery B from the charging line and to leave the battery B in the discharging circuit, the operating handle is moved forward and to the left until the latching pin 31 enters the next hole in the keeper plate 30, and locks the parts in the position shown in Fig. 9, which is the next locked position of the parts. During the transition to this posi tion, however, the device passes through intermediate positions, two of which are illus. trated in Figs. 7 and 8. To prevent sparking as the battery is cut oif, that is, as the charging contacts are broken between the fourth contact blade 20 and its right contact jaws l8 and between the sixth contact blade 21 and its right contact jaws 19", a resistance 39 isconnected in multiple in the' circuit through the engagement of the third and fifth contact blades 26 and 27 with the resistance contact jaws 24: and 25 respectively. As previously pointed out, this occurs just before the charging contacts are broken at the fourth and sixth right contact jaws 18 and 19, and the parts occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 7, in which the charging circuit is still intact, as described inconnection with Fig. 6, and in which the circuit containing the resistance may be traced as follows: from bindingpost 6, through wire 33, middle c'ontact jaws 29, resistance contact blade 27, resistance contact jaws 25, wire 40, resistance 39, wire 41, resistance contact jaws 24, resistance contact blade 26, middle contact jaws 2S, and wire 37 to binding post 7. i

The next position, illustrated in Fig. 8, is occupied just after the charging contacts are broken at the fourth and sixth right con tact jaws l8 and 19, and-before the resistance contacts are broken .at the contact jaws 24 and 25. In this position the resistance circuit is the same as before, while s the charging circuit is closed'so as to exclude any battery at this switch but a leaveit in 1 closed condition in its relation to other switches or instruments, the circuit-being" thus closed through the switch shown as fol lows; from binding post 6, throughwire 33,? middle contact jaws 29, contact blade27, electrical connection 46, contact blade. 21, middle contact jaws 23, wire lt, middle con-I tact jaws 22, contact blade 20, electrical connection 36, contact blade 26, middle contact jaws 28, wire 37, and bindingpost'l.

In the position illustrated inl ig. 9, which, as previously stated, is the next locked ,positi0n,.theresistance circuit 'isbr'oken 'at the contact jaws 24: and 25 and, tlie 'charging circuit is closed exclusive of the batteries of this switch as described'in connection with Fig. 8. In all of these four positions, the"; connection of battery B, with the discharge circuit remains intact. If it be desired to again charge battery B, and the handle and attached parts be moved back to the position shown .in Fig. 6, tlie successive positions and operations previously described will, of course, be repealed in the reverse order. It now it be des' l to charge battery B and to connect butt, y i B into the service line, the handle turned the full distance to the left to the fourtlh locked position, and the parts assume 115 a), sition'opposite to that illustrated in Fig. 6, i in which position, as will'rcadily be seen, the charging circuit is connected through'the battery B, and the battery B is connectedv into the discharge circuit. Similarly, to i merely cutthe battery B out of the charg ing circuit, the handle is moved forward and v I to the right to the next lockedfposit-ion, o e- .103 posite to and corresponding to that illusf trated in Fig. 9, in which position thefbat} tery B is still in the discharging circuit, but the charging circuit .is short-'circuited through the switch. In the transition as this position the parts pass through the two intermediate positions which correspond to; 1 those illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, andl'iniffl which-the resistance is connected i into ai then cut out of the circuit, successivelyl As previously stated, to prevent the charge circuit from ever being inomen a1 interrupted during the shifting of the-s from one battery connectiontoanother,the arcs of the sector-shaped portions to. the but iery contact blades 14: and 15 are sullicientlv long to bridge the distances between the con? tact jaws 10 and 10, and 'lland' 1,1 re spectively. This middle position is illnstrated in Fig. 10. The charging circuit is the same as described in conneetionwi-th Fig; 5), and both of the batteriesB andB" are U connected into the discharge circuit. I With this improved switch, therefore, no'battery is ever short-circuited, and there isno spin-hi at 3 0 of rotative contact-controlling members, a;

'fore one is cut out, thereby cuttin g down the current at least one half. The parts are also very compactly arranged, so that a Slight,

'movement of the operatin handle, which is entirely separated fronithe contacts, is all that is needed to shift from one position to another. 1

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the prin- "ciple and scopeof this invention.

What is claimed is:

1'. An electric circuit-controlling device for storage batteries, comprising, in combination with'two storage batteries, a charging circuit and a discharging circuit, a plurality plurality of electricterminals arranged in sets of three disposed in the paths of movement of .the contact-controlling members, one set for each contact-controlling member,

the poles of one battery being connected re- .spectively to one terminal in each of two sets, the poles of the other battery being'connected respectively to another terminal in each of the two said sets andfthe third ter- 'minal of the two said-sets being connected to the discharging circuit, the respective contact-controlling members of the two said sets being adapted to connect onebattery into the discharging circuit in one rotative position and to connect the other battery into the discharging circuit in another rotative position; the charging circuit being connected. to the terminals of the other sets, the terminals of the other sets cooperating with their respective contact-controlling members to properly connect the batteries into the charg-' ing circuit. a v

2. An electric circuitcontrollin'g device -for storage batteries, comprising, incombination with two storage batteries, a charging circuit and a discharging circuit, a plurality of rot-at-ive contact-controlling members, a plurality of electric terminalsarranged in sets of three disposed in the paths of movement of the contact-controlling members, one set for each contact-controlling member,

the sets including battery sets and charging sets, the poles of the batteries and the dis-- charging circuit being connected tothe ter minals of the battery sets, so that in one rotative position of the battery contact-controlling members one battery'asconnected into the discharging circuit and in another rotative position thegoth er batteryis connected into the discharging circuit; terminals ofjthe charging sets being connected tothe charging circuit, and the contact-controlling members ofsaid terminals of the charging sets being arranged to cooperate ing contact to one contact jaw in each of' two sets, "poles of the other batterybeingrconnected therewith to properly connect the batteries into the charging circuit.

3. An electric circuit-controlling device for storage batteries, comprising, in combination with two storage batteries, a charging circuit and a discharging circuit, a plurality of rotative contact-controlling members, a

plurality of electric terminals arranged 111' sets of three disposed in the paths of movement of the contact-controlling member, the sets including battery sets and charging sets, the poles of the batteries and the discharging circuit being connected to the terminals of the battery sets so that in one rotative position of the battery contact-controlling members one'bat-tery is connected into the discharging circuit and in'anothervrotative posltion the other battery is connected into 5 the discharging circuit; and a resistance, terminals of the chargingsets being connected to the charging circuit, other terminals'beang'connected to the resistance, and the rebatteries into the charging circuit in difi'erfor. storage batteries, comprising, in combispective contact-controllingmembers cotipcrating with the said terminals to alter-' 'nately connect and disconnect the respective "cut rotative positions'and to connect the rev ,sistance into 'the charging circuit before either battery is disconnected from the vcharging circuit. i

4. An electric circuit-controlling device.

nation with twostorage batteries, a charging circuit and a discharging circuit, an operat-' shaft, a plurality of radially extending blades carried by the shaft, a plurality of contact jaws arranged in sets of three disposed in the paths of movement of thecontact blades, one set for each blade, the poles of onebattery being connected respectively respectivelyto another contact aw in each of the two said sets and the third contact tact blades of the two said sets being-adapted to connect one battery into the discharging circuit in one rotative position and to connect the other battery into the discharging circuit in another rotative position; the.

charging circuit beingconnected to the jaws of the other sets, the jaws of the other sets cooperating -with their respective contact blades to connect'one battery into the charging circuit in one position of the contact blades and to connect the other battery into the charging circuit in another position of the contact blades.

5; An electric circuit-controlling device for storage batteries comprising, in combination with two storage batteries, a charging circuit and a; discharging circuit, an

operating shaft, a plurality of radially extending contact blades carried by the shaft,-

a plurality of contact jaws arranged in sets of three disposed in the paths of movement of the contact blades, one set for each blade, the sets including battery sets and. charging sets, the poles of the batteries'and the discharging circuit being connected tothc terminals of the battery sets, so that in one. position of the battery contact blades one battery is connected into the discharg ing circuit and in anotherposition of the battery contact blades the other battery is connected into the discharging circuit, the charging circuit being connected to the jaws of the charging sets, the jaws of the'charging sets cooperating with their respective contact blades to connect one battery into the char ing circuit in one position of the contact b ades, to the connect the otherbattery into the charging circuit inanother position of the blades,

6. An electrc circuitrcontrolling device for storage batteries comprising, in combination with two'storage batteries, a chargingicir-i cuit and adischarging circuit, an operating shaft, a plurality of radially extending con' tact blades carried by the shaft, a plurality of contact jaws arranged in sets-of three'disgosed in the paths of movement of the con-' tact blades, one set for each blade, the sets including battery'sets and charging sets, the poles of the batteries and the discharging circuitbeing connected to the jaws of the battery sets so that in one position of the battery blades one'battery is connected into the discharging circu t-and in another position the otherbattery is connected into the discharging circuit; and'a resistance, certain contact jaws of the charging sets being connected to the charging circuit,-other contact jaws being connected to the resistance and the respective contact blades cooperating with the said aws to alternately connect and disconnect the respectivebatteries into the charging circuit in different positions of the blades and toc'onnect the resistance into the charging circuit'before either battery is disconnected :t'rom the charging circuit.

7. An electric circuit-controlling device for storage batteries, comprising, in combination with two storage batteries and a charging circuit, a plurality of rotative contact-controlling members, a plurality of electric terminals arranged in -"l of movement of the contact-con- LGll'lbGIS, one set for each contactmember, the poles of the batits b ing connected to certain terminals.

ng circuit being; {ZOEZ'TwQClZQd to other inected to termina s,- and a resistance other terminals, the con controlling members in control of the i: Y terminals being arranged in one pr 7. to connect t 'ito the charging circuit 1 terminals to he poles of one battery are connected ....i.d in. another position to connect into the sets disposed in to connect the resistance terminals into the charging circuit in two positions and before either battery is disconnected from the charging circuit.

8. An electric circuit controlling device comprisingan operating shaft, a, plurality of contact-controlling members carried by the shaft including two charging contactcontrolling members each having two arms, two resistance contact-controlling members and two battery contact-controlling members, each having a single arm, one charging contact-controlling member being connected to one resistance contact-controlling member and the other charging contact-controlling member being connected to the other resistance contact-controlling member, a plurality of electric terminals arranged in sets disposed about theshaft in the paths of movement of the contact-controlling members; two. storage batteries, a discharging circuit,

and a charging circuit; two-sets of the electric terminals belng each composed of two charging terminals disposed in the path of one arm of the respective charging contactcontrolllng -member and an lntermediate charging terminal disposed in the path of the other arm of the respective charging contactcontrolling member; two sets being each composed of two resistance terminals disposed in the path of the arm of the respective resistance contact-controlling memher and an intermediate resistance terminal arrangedto make continuous contact with its respective resistance contact-controlling member; and two sets being each composed of one battery terminal connected to the pole of one battery and another battery terminal connected to a pole of the other battery,- the two terminals thus connected to the batteries being disposed in the path of the arm of their respective battery contact-controlling member, and an intermediate terminal connected to a terminal of the discharging circuit and arranged to make continuous contact with its contact-controlling member, the battery contact-controlling members being adapted to bridge the distance 'between the respective battery terminals so that in one position of the shaft one of the batteries will be connected to the discharging circuit, in another position of the shaft the other battery will be connected to.,the discharging circuit and in an intermediate position of the shaft both batteries will be connected to the discharging circuit; and a resistance suitably combined with the resistance terminals and contact-controlling members and charging circuit so that in the actuation of the operating shaft theresistance is connected into the charging circuit before the bat- G oo tery is disconnected from the charging circuit; the charging circuit being combined with the charging terminals and contactcontrolling members and the battery ter 5 minals so as to properly connect the batteries with the charging circuit.

, 9. An electric circuit-controlling device for storage batteries, comprising, in combination with two. storage batteries, a charga discharging circuit, an

10' ing circuit and a plurality of six contact sets and four charging sets, the poles of one battery beingilconnected to the side'jaws of the'battery' sets on one side and the other battery being connected to the side jaws of thebatteryset on the other side and thg; discharging circuit being connected to the intermediate contact jaws of the two batterysets, the contact blades of the two battery sets being shaped to connect one battery with the discharging circuit in one position of the shaft and to connect the other battery with the discharging circuit in another positionof-the shaft, the charging circuit be- 'lng' connected .to the intermediate contact jaws of two of the charging sets; a resistance connected to the'side' contact jaws of the two said charging sets, thecontact, blades of j the two said charging sets being shaped to connect the resistance into the "charging cir; cuit in two. positions of the shaft, the two middle contact jaws of the other two charg- 0 ing sets being connected together and the side jaws of the other charging sets being" by the shaft and disposed connectedfiespectively to the four side jaws ofthe battery sets, the contact blades of the four charging sets being arranged to co operate with their respective contact jaws, so that in one'position ofthe shaft one battery is connected into the charging circuit and in another position of the shaft the other battery is connectedinto the charging circuit and the resistance is connected into the charging circuit before either battery isdisconnected from the charging circuit.

10. In an electric circuit-controlling de- .vice,-in combination with two storage batteries' and a discharging circuit, an operat- '55. ing shaft, two contact blades thereon, each contact blade extending radially from two sides'of'the shaft, two sets of three contact jaws disposed about the shaft in the paths of movement of the contact blades, one set for 6 0 each blade, the poles of one battery being connected to the two side. jaws of the sets on one side of the vdevice, the poles of the other battery being connected to the two device, 'and'the discharging circuit being connected to the-two middle jaws," each of thetwo blades being shaped so that the radial extension on one side of the shaft is tact jaw, and: the radial extension on the other side of the shaft is adapted to make contact withoneside jaw in one position of the shaft and to make contact with the other and to-make contact with both side jaws' in an intermediate position of the shaft.

' -KATHARINE COLEMAN,

. I I Administratm'm. Witnesses: VICTOR D. Bons'r,

f I BnnNAnn CownN.

side jaws of the sets on the other side of the in permanent connection with its middle conside jaw in another position of the shaft I 

